Kosuke has been a good friend of mine for almost a decade. I’ve seen his work progress significantly over the years, during which he established himself in New York, become fully fluent in English, completed an MFA at Pratt Institute, obtained an artist visa, and participated in and organized dozens of exhibitions—all while sacrificing any number of comforts in order to make ends meet. Now a new member of the Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts’s Studio Program, Kosuke is participating in the organization’s annual open studios weekend, which begins Thursday, October 21.
Kosuke asked me to curate this small exhibition, which we installed in his third-floor studio space, that aims to give visitors a clear sense of his artistic practice. Although we have, on more than one occasion leading up to this show, had deliberate discussions regarding work selection, placement, and installation, as well as writing and overall message, the decisions regarding what to include in Kosuke’s studio show seem actually to be years in the making. Kosuke’s work is the most focused his trajectory has ever been and I wanted this small show to reflect that.
I was delighted curate sculpture, video, and several kinds of painting from Kosuke’s production from the last few years into this exhibition. “Growing in the Dark” is a dive into the strange and often uncomfortable realms of corporeal existence, which has been a consistent theme in Kosuke’s work.
To visit: register here.